Outrageous: Corrupt Episcopal bishop Lucinda Ashby and Diocese of El Camino Real ignore sex offender

What is the value of having policies to protect children and vulnerable populations if bishops and clergy are free to ignore those policies?

Answer: The policies are worse than useless, instead creating a false sense of security.

Nothing better illustrates this issue and the systemic corruption within the episcopacy than the big brush-off coming from The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Ashby, bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real, when confronted with Title IV allegations that the Rev. Ruth Casipit-Paguio, rector of Holy Family in San Jose, ignored Safe Church requirements for eight years.

Specifically, Casipit-Paguio reportedly didn’t bother to run background checks on church staff and volunteers during that time, a violation of diocesan policy.

Possibly as a result, a known pedophile listed on a state sex offender registry attempted to become involved with the parish. That individual obtained keys to the church.

When the matter came to Casipit-Paguio’s attention, the parish removed the offender from leadership. Still, Casipit-Paguio allegedly declined to report the matter to the police, as required by law. Moreover, neither parishioners nor other parishes were alerted to the issue, thereby placing children and others at risk.

A complainant, whose name we are withholding, filed a Title IV complaint only to get brushed off by the reference panel.

In that regard, it is essential to bear in mind that the bishop diocesan is one of the members of the intake panel.

Our take on things

As usual, Anglican Watch takes what one friend rightly describes as a “feisty” approach to these issues.

• At one point in the process, Holy Family apparently developed a policy that states that all persons may attend church, but registered sex offenders may not serve in leadership positions. To be clear, that is BS. An appropriate policy involves establishing covenantal boundaries with the sex offender, including only attending church with an escort, notifying clergy prior to attendance, not participating in children’s events, not being alone with children, and more. That’s doubly important in this case, when the offender allegedly falsely claimed he was clergy. In other words, there already are boundary violations and manipulation by the offender, so barring him from leadership is not even close to adequate.
• Violations of Safe Church policies should, by definition, be actionable under Title IV. Nothing surpasses the need to protect children and other vulnerable populations, and background checks are a de minimis safeguard unlikely to snag anyone but the most egregious offenders. That said, they are a necessity, and criminals often hide in plain sight (think Tenth Presbyterian’s Liam Goligher, who Pennsylvania courts convicted of having sex in a public park with a married parishioner who was not his wife.)
• Indeed, we are reminded of a bishop in the South who warns clergy that anything other than a clean parish audit WILL result in disciplinary charges. By setting clear-cut disciplinary standards for clear-cut offenses, bishops diocesan establish respect for their authority and, more importantly, the rule of canon law. Thus, Lucinda Ashby lost a valuable opportunity to set expectations within the Diocese.
• It appears that the Diocese, as is often the case, treated the “pastoral response” clause of Title IV as meaningless. In other words, it did nothing to care for the complainant or those hurt by Casipit-Paguio’s nonfeasance. That is disgraceful and a violation of basic notions of Christian compassion.
• The Diocese’s response serves as a warning to members at every level: El Camino Real, like much of the Episcopal Church, does not take abuse seriously. Beware.
• Relatedly, the Diocese’s conduct, as well as the ludicrously inadequate parish policy welcoming pedophiles, all but guarantees future incursions by abusers. Beware.
• We remain deeply concerned by the high levels of conflict within the Diocese, the lack of accountability, the risk of adverse legal action, and the lack of leadership we see coming from the bishop diocesan and other judicatories.
• The initial intake officer, whom we understand to be an attorney, resigned in protest over the outrageous behavior from the Diocese in this matter. Does that tell anyone anything?
• When an offender attempts to become involved with children in a church setting, it is imperative, regardless of specific state and diocesan reporting requirements, that law enforcement be immediately informed. Additionally, the situation must be immediately reported in writing to all parishes, schools, and para-church organizations that could be at risk. Ignoring the matter is unacceptable.
• We call on all involved in this shocking breach of trust to resign, including the chancellor, the bishop, the intake officer, and more.

In other words, until El Camino Real cleans up its act, it joins the long and sordid list of unsafe dioceses, which include:

• Massachusetts
• Virginia
• Chicago
• Louisiana
• Easton
• Bethlehem
• Anywhere Bishop Chilton Knudsen is involved.

Relatedly, each of these dioceses is cursed with lay leaders who unquestioningly decry any move toward accountability as “despicable.”

Thus, Anglican Watch urges readers to withhold pledges and other support from these dioceses and consider transitioning to a denomination that holds clergy accountable for misconduct.

For too long, the faithful in the Episcopal Church have been treated by judicatories as an expendable resource and membership in the church as a privilege graciously bestowed by the church upon undeserving laity.

Those days are over.

While we’re at it, our usual notice to plaintiff’s counsel: If a child is hurt by this sex offender and the Diocese of El Camino Real has been in any way negligent, contact us for assistance. We will gladly share details, including who at the diocese knew what, when they knew it, and more.

Copies of a letter sent to the Holy Family parish about this matter, the Title IV complaint, and the Diocese’s moronic response are below in PDF.

Photo of the Rev. Casipit-Paguio courtesy of Holy Family Parish,